MOGADISHU, Somalia, March 5, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — A large gathering which was attended by the all Mogadishu media representatives – Print, Radios, TVs and Online – organized by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) and hosted by the Somalia South-Central Non-State Actors (SOSCENSA) gathered the conference hall of the SOSCENSA on Monday 4, 2013 and deeply discussed the fate of the media freedom following the verdict on Sunday against the Somali journalist Abdiasis Abdinur Ibrahim.

The journalist, Abdiasis Koronto was arrested on January 10, 2013 and was accused of interviewing a woman, who alleged being raped by state security forces. The interview has not been published on any media outlet, but on the contrary, the Somali appeals court sentenced the journalist for misleading the interview and not submitting the concerned organizations, a verdict that Somali media community called a real threat to the press freedom and criminalizes the media profession.

The media officials who spoke at the conference including the Directors of Radios Simba, Dalsan, Danan, Benadir, Haatuf, Hamar (Vod), Kulmiye, Risaala, goobjoog, Star FM and the television and print representatives all called the sentence unacceptable and threatens to the media freedom and stressed the need the journalists and their employers unified in the profession to join forces and fight for their freedoms and the freedom of the jailed journalist Abdiasis Abdinur Ibrahim who was sentenced the appeals court for not publishing his interview, contrary to the previous claims and two key points have been agreed.

“We have agreed to join forces and write a letter stating our concerns and demanding the release of our colleague, to the president, prime minister and the speaker, which will be signed by the both the media employers and NUSOJ” Mohamed Ibrahim, Secretary General of the National Union of Somali Journalists said, “We also agreed to launch an extensive daily media coverage, a media campaign focusing the release of the journalist, the verdict, media freedom and freedom of expression.”

The campaign will not be limited to the radio stations in Mogadishu, also the existing media in South and central Somalia will take part the campaign.

The media campaign which will be aired in the form of talk shows which legal and experts be invited is aimed at getting justice for the jailed journalist and the media freedom which is at stake following the verdict.